A Sydney man has been convicted of leading a terrorist group that planned to attack the city’s navy base, a courthouse, the Mardi Gras parade and Israeli embassy.
Hamdi Alqudsi, 48, faced the NSW Supreme Court for a trial after he was charged with intentionally directing a terrorist organisation that was preparing to carry out a terrorist act.
Crown prosecutors claimed Alqudsi directed the organisation called the Shura between August 2014 and December 2014, but he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
However, the jury on Thursday ruled in favour of the Crown and convicted the 48-year-old.
Alqudsi first came to the attention of police in mid-2013 when he rallied men together to form the Shura, meaning a consultative council in Arabic.
Crown prosecutor Patricia McDonald SC told the jury that Alqudsi originally recruited people to travel to Syria to join extremist jihadist groups and ISIS to “fight against the commonwealth” and collect money for men to travel.
However, “overt action by police” led to the plans being “handicapped” and ultimately stopped the Shura sending men to Syria.
“The initial activities of the Shura were disrupted by police through cancellations of passports, exercise of arrests and search warrants,” Ms McDonald said during the trial.
The jury was told the Shura then changed its focus and became involved in “fostering domestic terrorism attacks”.
It was also told there was a proposal to “commit a terrorist attack” at Sydney’s navy base on Garden Island at Woolloomooloo.
“There will be a Woolloomooloo letter which sets out some of the proposed details about this attack on the navy base,” Ms McDonald said.
Alqudsi also proposed to conduct a terrorist attack at a courthouse, while there were also “discussions about terrorist acts on the annual Mardi Gras event or parade”.
The jury was told the group discussed an attack on the Israeli embassy and on groups of tourists.
Throughout the trial, the jury was given evidence about the inner workings of the Shura from some of “the brothers” who were allegedly involved and told the jury about how the group operated.
Ms McDonald told the jury members of how the Shura gave a “pledge of allegiance” to ISIS and became “frustrated” when their plans to travel to Syria through Turkey were undone by police.
“Several members’ of the Shura’s passports were cancelled, preventing them from leaving Australia,” Ms McDonald said.
The jury was told how Mr Alqudsi referred to himself as “the commander” of the Shura and complained how members did not respect him.
The group used code in the form of soccer matches when discussing their plans to go to Syria.
Ms McDonald said members would often ask if there was a “soccer match”, which referred to whether they could go to Syria, or tell Alqudsi they were keen to “go and play soccer”.
“The accused said to one of the boys, ‘You’re an A-League player, you’ll be an asset for the team’,” Ms McDonald told the jury.
Alqudsi told members of the group they should purchase return tickets to Syria in a bid not to get caught and should fly through Singapore to Turkey.
The jury was told Alqudsi had plans to leave Australia and go to Singapore, but he was intercepted at the airport by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers, who told him his passport was cancelled.
When he returned home, he sent a text that said “God’s enemies denied me and seized my passport”.
In his defence, Alqudsi claimed he had no involvement with the Shura and only met the members on social occasions.
He denied responsibility for the conduct of individuals within the Shura.
Defence counsel Michael Finnane said his client was not responsible for the Shura and was innocent.
“He just says he didn’t do it,” Mr Finnane said.
Alqudsi has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced by Justice Stephen Rothman on October 31.
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